Wantage/Grove

Wantage Town Juniors Football Club finally find a home

First published
in Wantage/Grove
by Pete Hughes, Reporter covering Abingdon and Wantage, South Oxford and Kennington. Call me on 01865 425431

A JUNIOR football team in Wantage that formed in 1969 has finally found a home of its own.

Wantage Town Juniors, formerly known as The Wantage Concords, has never had its own pitches and has been renting from King Alfred’s School But Vale of White Horse District Council has now given permission for them to use Tugwell Field, where the club will soon sign a five-year lease.

Wantage Town Juniors committee member Pete Garratt said: “It is a fantastic step forward for us to be able to start using Tugwell.

“I am just trying to get kids playing football, and now we can train four-year-olds right up to 10 here. We have the continuity we never had before.

“We can create a real football nursery.

“It gives us a lot more space and something we can control ourselves, rather than depend on other people.”

The football club, which came under the umbrella of Wantage Town FC in June, coaches 150 children from under 8s to under 15s.

It hopes to eventually raise enough money to build a permanent clubrooms at the new site.

Mr Garratt added “We’ll just get a lock-up to start with, maybe a couple of portaloos, then try to raise the money for something more substantial.”